Mathews in rearguard 54 n.o : Sri Lanka 154/5 to India’s 600

Sri Lanka was in all sorts of trouble on 154 for 5 wickets chasing India’s mammoth 600 in the first innings on the second day of the first Test at the Galle Stadium. The most disparaging of damages was seeing the back of Upul Tharanga for 64 after a blossoming fourth-wicket repair job between the opener and Angelo Mathews had taken the total to 147 from 68 for 3 wickets. The pair had added 79 when Tharanga went out of his crease and played forward to a Saha delivery and was beaten by a direct throw to the wicket at the striker’s end. The indiscretion was an agonizing blow with Sri Lanka looking down the barrel of a mountainous opposition total. Tharanga had looked well set having played the Indian bowling attack with consummate ease in a boundary filled innings in a 93-minute stay. He struck 10 boundaries. Tharanga’s dismissal was followed by that of Niroshan Dickwella for 8 off 15 balls off Ashwin.

The early loss of Dimuth Karunaratne for 2 in the second over LBW to Yadav with the total on 7 was bad digesting, but Tharanga carried the attack to the Indians putting on 61 for the second wicket with Dhanushka Gunathilake in 12.3 overs. But two crippling blows in the space of five balls with Gunathilake departing for 16, and Kusal Mendis for a duck to paceman Shami having conspicuously not batted in his regular pivotal No.3 slot, was a bitter pill to swallow for the home side. In 39.2 overs Sri Lanka had slid to 143 for 5 in 44 overs, and next batsman Dilruwan Perera negotiated 16 balls as Sri Lanka closed the day with former captain Mathews in a virtual lone battle on 54 off 91 balls inclusive of 8 boundaries.

The tough going for the Sri Lankans had culminated in a record 600 by India as the tourists went on to pile on the runs from the overnight resumption of 399 for 3. R. Ashwin 47 and H.H. Pandya 50 were the main trouble shooters in the run glut. Lankan paceman Nuwan Pradeep had the personal satisfaction of career best 6 for 132 in an innings. Fellow paceman Lahiru Kumara had 3 for 131.

By Srian Obeyesekere

-The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Sri Lanka Cricket-